Do's and Don'ts of Having an Open Bar at Your Wedding
In addition to selecting the perfect attire, decor, and live entertainment, planning a wedding involves getting food and drinks for guests to enjoy at your reception. Having an open bar may allow guests to order beer, wine, and cocktails without the need to pay for these refreshments. Adhering to the following guidelines can help you make sure everything goes smoothly at the open bar on your big day.
Do:
Stock the bar yourself.
Your caterer may offer alcohol in addition to appetizers, entrees, and desserts. However, since liquor packages can raise the overall cost of catering services, you may save money by stocking the bar yourself. You can keep expenses to a minimum by ordering beer from a wholesaler and providing a small handful of other options, including wine, well liquor, and basic mixers. This should ensure you have enough variety while allowing you to stay within your wedding budget.
Encourage guests to pace themselves.
Having an open bar is often an impressive feature at receptions, as it allows guests to enjoy free drinks and eliminates the hassle of handling cash or cards. However, the availability of alcoholic beverages can make it easy for attendees to overdo it on the beer, wine, and cocktails.
You can encourage guests to pace themselves by suggesting no more than one drink per hour. You may also serve water and small bites before and after dinner service so that your guests stay hydrated and have plenty of food to absorb the liquor.
Don't:
Set a time limit.
If you keep the bar open for a limited amount of time, this may cause guests to rush to get drinks and overwhelm the bartender. This can result in long lines and wait times to get drinks, making your reception feel chaotic. Prevent these issues by keeping the bar open for the duration of your event. Ask your DJ or live band to announce last call about half an hour before the bar closes so that attendees have plenty of time to get a final drink.
Require tips.
Since attendees won't have to pay for alcoholic beverages at your reception, they might not have a way to tip unless they give the bartender cash. Since your guests might not think to bring cash for tipping, you can make sure the bartender receives fair compensation by including a tip when you pay for their services. Generally, this means adding about 20% on top of the final bill.
When you decide to have an open bar at your wedding, contact Classic Brands – Budweiser. Based in Chillicothe, OH, this beer wholesaler offers Anheuser-Busch® products to clients throughout Ross, Pike, Pickaway, Highland, Fayette, Gallia, Jackson, Hocking, and part of Madison counties. Call (740) 774-2831 to place an order for beer or malt beverages, and visit the website to learn more about their product inventory.